TEA IN THE PARLOR 

Afternoon tea is a very gentile custom. We as Americans learned the art of having tea from our European friends. Of course, no one does it better that the British. In our busy and so often stress filled lives, sometimes we forget to have tea. Through our opportunity to have guests in our Inn, we hope to rekindle an appreciation for this spot in the middle of the afternoon that allows us to sit for a moment, have conversation, and renew our spirits.

Our daughter-in-law, Paige, shares this love and desire to engage in the art of tea. Her innate ability to graciously entertain has brought to our family a renewed interest in white table linens and china teacups. She has a lovely collection of individual china tea services that she adds to every year. Her plans are to have tea parties even for children so that they might begin early to appreciate this custom. Paige also has a number of books in her home on the gift of entertaining such as the one you see here on tea with friends.

Our friend Donna also is carrying on the tradition by having tea parties with her grandchildren. The stories from these special times are priceless. The teacup you see here was a gift from my Aunt Jean, who along with my mother was one of my earliest teachers on gracious entertaining. A guest recently took afternoon tea from this cup and said, “Afternoon tea is such a nice thing to do. Don’t you think?” We agree that tea is a nice thing to do and that it taste best in china.

We sincerely hope that you will find here a time in your afternoon to renew your energy, spend time with friends, and enjoy a spot of tea. And we hope you will practice the art of tea as you go.